Ron Liebich’s Vintage 2017 Report

Is it coincidence that Lindsay Head’s number was 17 (famous South Australian footballer in the 60’s), and therefore Ron’s favourite number?

Vintage 2017 has been the best year that Ron can recall since 1996 in terms of weather, quantity and quality of all types of fruit on our property, not only wine and table grapes.

The start of harvest was like a return to ‘normal’ and not 3 weeks early as in recent years with such hot summers. Vintage threatened to finish early, before a cool damp spell gave way to an Indian summer, which extended the season and improved the quality and flavour of the subsequent wine. Ron is particularly happy with the 2017 fortifieds to keep bulk stocks topped up. He even crushed some Shiraz for a one off vintage fortified wine.

It was a nice change to have picking spread out from mid March into the first week of May. This meant a chance to enjoy the Barossa Vintage Festival.